Clutch



l. CI. OLLARD.

CLUTCH.

APPLICATION FILED Aua.22. IsIz.

l ,$05,230. Patented June 10, 1919.

' 3 SHEETS-SHEET 2.

3 4 Ill l3 36 4+ J. C. OLLARD.

CLUTCH.

APPLICATION FILED A'UG.22. I9Ir.

l ,306,230 Patented June 10, 1919.

3 SHEETS-SHEET 3.

' Tacoma, in the county JAMES c. mm, Vor Tacoma, wAsdroN.-

CLUTCH. i

To all wtom t may concern:

Be it known that I, JAMES C. OLLARD, a 4b citizen of the United States, residing at of Pierce, State of Washington, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Clutches, of which the followmg is a specification.

This invention-relates to devices whereby a rotating shaft may be secured to 'another shaft, or released therefrom, to rotate it whenever desired, I"and has special reference l to clutches for automobiles and other similar vehicfesjand uses.

The objects ofthe invention are, rst, to produce a very light, compact and strong clutchin mechanism; second, to provide an l gaining great leverage in the clamping mechanism whereby a very light clutch-sprin may be used and therefore the wear on the clutch releasing mechanism may be 'materially' reduced; third, to provide a single adjusting means of improved design to take up the wear on all the clutching mechanism; and fourth, to provide simple and eifective means whereby said adjusting means may be locked. in Aany adjusted position. l I attain these and other objects by the devices, mechanisms, and arrangements illustrated in the accompanying drawings, in which- Figure 1 is a section of my improved clutch on a plane parallel to the axis of rotation, showing the parts in clutching position; Fig. 2 is a front elevation thereof; Fig. 3 is a section, similar to Fig. 1, showing the parts in released position; Fig. 4 is a perspective view of one of the levers; 5 1s a similar view of one of the keepers; ig. 6 is a front elevation of the lever-carrying disk; Fig. 7 is a front elevation of the movi able clamping disk; and Fig. 8 is a side elethe clutch mounted' on a usual circular flange 2 at its end, to which the flywheel, or main body of the clutch, is firmly secured by bolts. This flywheel con- Specification of Letters Patent. Patented Jun@ 109 1919. Application Jed August 22, 191'?.v SerialtNo. 187,663.

sistsof a disk 3,

o lts pass, surrounded by a rim 4.. This rim 4 1s not placed symmetricall over the disk 3 but extends to one side t ereof so as to form a'hollow body whereinl the clutching mechamsm 1s' mounted. The disk 34 is also provided with a small central hole 5 adapted toA receive the reduced' end 6 ofthe drlven shaft 7. Y

.A ring-shaped lining 8 ts in the inner surfaceof the rim 4 and is fixedly secured thereto by means of screws 9 which pass through an outward-extending flange 10 thereof, which flange fits on the vertical edge of'sald r1m 4. The inner. surface of the linmg 8 is screw-threaded, as shown. A keyslot 11 is cut in the linin 8, through the screw-threads thereof, paraIlel with the axis of the shafts 1 and 7.

' An adjustin ring12, whose outer surface is screW-threa ed to it the threads in the lining 8,. screws therein. This ring 12 is split by a slot 13, parallel with its axis, and a tapered locking screw stud 14 is screwed into the sides of said slot13 so, that when said stud 14 is screwed d'own, it expands said ring 12 and locks it in the lining it can not turn therein and so that when said stud 14 is screwed outward, said rin 12 is allowed tospring back and is-then ee to be turned in the ring 8 to adjust its position axially in the mechanism. A lock nut I5 is through vwhich the said 8 .so that The carrying disk 19 (Fig. 6) ts in the lining ring 8 and has a key 20 which fits in the key-slotv 11 therein so that said disk. 19 is free to move axially but cannot turn therein. A plurality of keepers or lugs 1 8 are secured to the face of the disk 19 and are shaped to engage the said flange 17 on the adjusting ring12. The keepers 18 connect the carrying disk 19 with the adjusting ring .12, which, when unlocked, is permitted to rotate freely to` adjust the carrying plate `inwardlyand outwardly to lift t shaft 7 passes.-

is prevented from turningv relatively to said disk 19 but is allowed free axial motion relatively thereto. The op osite or inner face of the disk 19 is provl ed with a concentric cylindrical ilane 26 from which extend three cylindrical ys 27 (one onlyis shown in Fig. 1) adapted to engage in suitable keyways 28 in the hereinafter described movable clamping disk 29 whereby said disk is prevented from having relatlve rotary motion while it is free to have relative axial motion. l

The movable clamping dlsk 29 (Fig. 7)

` has a large central hole 30 with three keyways 28 o ening therefrom wherein the above mentioned keys 27 engage. Its outer face, adjacent the disk 19, is provided with vhardened steel contact disks 31, located in line with the openings 23 inthe disk 19, and

adapted tO'rece'iVe the pressure from that portion' ofl-the levers 22V which projects therethrough, said disks 31 having central stems rojectin'g'through the clamping disk 29. 'The op osite or inner face of the disk provi ed with a friction surface near itsrim.-

The driven shaft 7 extends into the space between Vthe disk 3 f the iiywheel and the carrying disk 19 and has a driven friction disk 32 securely fastened thereto, said disk l bein slightly smaller in. diameter than the insi e of the rim 4.l

Two intermediate friction rings 33, of the same diameter as said disk 32, are interposed between the faces of said disk 32 and the .driving friction ldisks 3 and 29, said disks 33 being made of suitable material.

v Referring now to the means for actuating'- said clutchmg mechanism; it will be seen that the carrying disk 19 is provided with a central cylindrlcal sleeve 34 extending outward-therefrom, through which the driven This sleeve. 34 is rmly secured to the disk 19 and carries a'nut 35 at `its outer end. 'The above-mentioned sleeve 25 lits outside of the sleeve 34 and moves freely axially thereon but cannot turn relatively thereto. The outer endof .the

l sleeve 25 is formed with an enlarged avity 36 whereinthe light clamping spring 37 is mounted, said sprin being compressed between the nut 3 5 an the shoulder at the in-` l Lacasse ner end ofthe cavity 36 seas always to tend to fo'rce said.-sleeve 25 toward the dis'k 19` (Fig. 1). Three lugs 38 extend radially out from the sleeve 25 and are adapted to en age the operatin levers 22.

hese levers 22 igs. 1, 2, 3 and 4) are 'provi'ded, at their head ends,with holes 39 through which the fulcrum pms pass and by l which they are attachedto the lugs 21 on the face. of the disk 19. A The head 1s also rovided with an inward extension ada te to and carrying a hardene steel contact piece 40 which bears on the hardened steel disk 31 of the movable disk 29. A spring cavity 41 is also provided inthe-lever 22, near the head thereof, and adaptedv to receive and hold a retrieving spring 42 .which presses against the disk 19 and tends to counteract the above-mentioned clamping spring 37. The opposite-end of the lever 22 is en d by the above lugv 38 of the sleeve 25. :gyrring to the elevation shown in Fig. 2 it is clearly seen' that these levers 22 are also of special shape relatively to the plane at rightangles to t e axis-of'rotation. The lu 21 of the disk 19 are arranged so that the center line, of thespace betweenthe lugs formin a pair, is radial and the head of said lever, geing mounted'between these vlu is therefore also radial.y Then again, it w1ll be seen that the lug 38 of the sleeve 25 extends therefromv on a radial line drawn at right-an les to the radial line of said lever head, an that the lever shank is giventwo o posite bends=so that the end of Vsaid shank 1s parallel, to the head thereof and engages said lug 38 on a line parallel with the radial center line of the head of the lever and tangential to said sleeve 25 at said lug. This' arrangement gives a great leverage for the force of the spring 3 as applied to the clamping disk 29 through the contact piece 40, without any twisting action such as is had if the lever' head be not arranged radially.

The sleeve 25 may be moved to release the clutch, against the action of the springl 37, by means of a foot lever 45 suitably supported nea-r the clutch and having' slotted forked ends engaging the trunnions 43 of the ring 44 which issuitably mounted on the said sleeve 25 in such manner as to permit said sleeve 25 to turn therein but to transmit thereto anyaxial motion which may be given by said foot lever.

In F1gs. 1 and 8 the clutch is shown in clutching position, the sleeve 25 being actuated by the coiled spring to force the levers 22 inwardl The clutch is unclutched by `operatingft e foot lever to lift the sleeve 25 and permit the springs 42'to move the levers outwardly and release the clamping disk 29. Havin therefore described my invention,

what I c aimis: f

1. In a shaft clutch, the combination with v and having its inner surface screw-threaded;

a split ring screwing into said lining and adapted to be relatively turned therein to adjust the clutchln mechanism; a ta ered stud screwed into t e s lit ortion o said ring to` expand it and t ere y to lock it in adjusted position in said lining; a driven shaft having a clutch surface withinv said hollow clutch body, but free therein; and clutch mechanism carried by said adjusting ring but movable only axially relatively to said rotating shaft and adapted to engage the clutch surface of said driven shaft to rotate it.

2. In a shaft clutch, the combination withl a rotating shaft ycarryin a hollow clutch body; of a lining secured 1n said clutch body and keyslotted a split ring screwing into said lining and adapted to be relatively turned therem to adjust the clutching mechanism;

means for expanding said split ring to lock it in adjusted position in sai lining; a driven shaft having a clutch surface within said hollow clutch body, but free therein; a carrying plate loosely secured to said ring and having a key engaging the keyslot in said lining, whereby said plate is prevented from `.hollow .clutch body, carrying plate, an adjusting ring connectrotary motion relatlvel'y to said f hollow clutch body but is given axial kvmotion rela-l tively thereto by the adjustment of said split ring; and clutch mechanism carried byv said carrying plate and axially movable relatively thereto whereby said clutch surface of the driven shaft is engaged to rotate it. l l

3. In a shaft clutch, the combination with a driving shaft carrying a hollow clutch body and a driven shaft havin a clutch surface mqunted within said ho Low body; of a sleevemounted on and axially movable on said driven shaft and rotatively connected to said driving shaft; radial lugs extending from-said sleeve; a carrying disk mounted in said hollow clutch body; clutchin mechanism rotating with' said driving s aft and' mounted between said carrying dlsk and' said clutch surface of the driven shaft and adapted to engage and rotate said clutch surface; and levers mounted on said carrying disk 'and engaging said clutching mechamsm to operate it, each of said levers being radially mounted at its head or pivoted end and having its shank o'set but parallel with said head end whereby the end of said shank is engaged by said lug on the sleeve to operate it and whereby it lies tangential to said sleeve. l

74. In a shaft clutch, an axially movable clutch body having a central hole therein with suitable keyways' in the inner'edge of said clutch body, outwardfrom said hole, an

axially immovable carrying body having a mounted on said carryin central boss passin hole in `said movable clutchbody, and means ing said clutch body an adapted to move said clutch body axially relatively tosaid carrying body; in combination with cylindrical lnserts forming keys, each having its axis parallel with the axis vof said yclutch body, said inserts being partially embedded in the outer face of said boss and extending,

therefrom to 4engage the keyways in said movable clutch body whereby' relative rotation between said bodies is prevented.

5. In a shaft clutch, the combination with a rotating shaft and a hollow clutch body carried by the same, said clutch body and face screw threaded,

of a lining securedin having lts inner sur-x a spllt rlng screwing into said lining and adapted to be relatively andv having its lnner surface screw-threaded l turned therein, a driven shaft having a clutch surface within said hollow clutch body but free therein, clutch mechanism carried by said adjusting ring but movable only axially relative to saidrotating Shaft and adapted to engage the clutch surface of said driven shaft to rotate it and means body and engagfreely 'through the said for expanding the adjusting ring to lock the same in its adjustment.

' 6. In a shaft clutch, the combination with a ,driven shaft having a clutch member, a a relatively adjustable ing the carrying plate with the .body andA swiveled to one o the parts and having a threaded engagement with the other, a movable clamping member located within the hollow body and co-acting with the body .to clamp the clutch member of the' driven hollow body and co-acting with the body to clamp the clutcliV member of the driven shaft, and means carried by the saidv plate and arranged exteriorly thereof for actuating the movable clutch' member.

8. In a shaft clutch, the combination' with a driven shaft having a clutch member, a

hollow clutch body, a relatively adjustable carrying plate, an adjusting ring connecting the carrying plate with the body and swiveled to one of the parts and having a threaded engagement with the other, a movable clamping member located within the hollow body and co-a'cting withthe body to clamp the clutch member of the driven shaft, and clutch members mounted on the exterior of the carrying plate and having arms extendiyn Athrouigl'h the *sa-me fr aetuating the movab e clutc' member. f

9. In a sha'ft e1uteh, the combination with adrven vshaft having a clutch member's,A

5 hollow clutch body, ai relatively adjusta carryn 'plwteya'n adlusting ring havin? a sw1ve1e Acon'neet1on w1th the Carrym p ate y and a threaded engagement with the ollow body, a movable *elaomping member, located within the hollow body and` cao-acting with 1x0 the body to clam the clutch member of the l driven shaft, an clutch members mounted on-tlle exterior of the oarryinl plate and having arms extendin throu the same for 'actuating the mova 1e cluto member. 15

' 'JAMES C. OLLARD.v 

